E3 2005: Magna Carta: Tears of Blood

Korean developer Softmax's PS2 RPG Magna Carta: Tears of Blood is soon going to be made available to U.S. audiences thanks to Atlus. And we can't wait to play it.

Unfortunately, Tears of Blood wasn't playable, but there was a video presentation. The FMVs look fantastic, rivaling some of Square Enix's efforts, and the in-game graphics aren't shabby either.

The basic story revolves around a man named Calintz, a mercenary in the unit known as the "Tears of Blood," who thirsts for revenge against a race of powerful human-like creatures called the Yason. Along the way, he encounters a young woman named Reith, who, of course, has amnesia.

The game features a real-time combat system and a feature called the "Trinity Circle," which appears to be somewhat like the "Judgment Ring" from Shadow Hearts. Basically, there's a ring with three button icons on it, and you have to hit the appropriate button with exact timing.

Based upon the video presentation I saw, the game looks like it could be a strong contender against the more established RPG franchises. We'll have to wait and see if it can live up to our expectations when we actually get our hands on the game.